By Topf Wells

The shorter report: As much fun as you can have while sweating.

The longer report: Jim Hess, Conservation Chair, completed a brilliant season of planning and executing work days. Both brush bundles are in at the Sarabacher easement, thanks to Jim and about a dozen very hard working volunteers. The brush is in and properly staked and corded (I donated my two spools of decoy cord which probably means my duck hunting days are over). We’ll have Dan Oele judge our work but I think they look great and are now trapping sediment and providing fish nice cover on the outside edges. We think those edges might be good places to find a stray fly or lure over time.

Everyone deserves thanks but a special tip of the hat to Mike Meier, who wrestled prodigious amounts of brush in place and then had a great sense of how to deploy the cord.

All of us thought this was a great use of brush and a far better and more responsible one than piling and burning it. We hope this can be a component of many future work days.

The day ended with a celebratory cookout hosted by Mary Ann Doll and Michael Williamson at the Neperud property. Never, never miss a cookout hosted by these two. The brats and hot dogs were delicious, the beer and lemonade cold, and the s’mores the grand finale. Generations of kids can’t be wrong when they are made as well as Mary Ann does them – she even found a square marshmallow that melts better. Who says the world isn’t improving?

Life is always better when you’re outside. As we were finishing, a young couple came up with two small children. Mary Ann certainly knows a s’more is a terrible thing to waste. You want to see big smiles – offer two kids unexpected s’mores. The parents are new to Dane County and enjoy taking their kids out to see lovely outdoor areas. The family was turning over rocks in the river and looking at bugs and having a grand time. That should have been a clue … the dad is a former fishing guide from Washington and has been a TU member. We hope to see the family at future TU events.

See photos below courtesy Jim Beecher, or view the full album.